Cabildo
4
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
A visit to New Orleans' historic French Quarter would not be complete without a stop at Jackson Square, which is where you will find the Cabildo. This elegant Spanish colonial building neighbors St. Louis Cathedral and houses many rare artifacts of America's history. Among them is Napoleon's death mask. It was made from a mold crafted by Dr. Francesco Antommarchi, who was one of Napoleon Bonaparte's physicians at the time of his death. The popular tricentennial exhibition "We Love You, New Orleans" gives a great overview of all there is to love about the city.
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Neighborhood: French Quarter
A small and teeming network of laissez-faire living lounged out on the balmy banks of the Mighty Mississippi, the French Quarter has long been a port of call for folks in search of a good time and a great story. Perpetually inebriated Bourbon Street runs across its midriff like a strand of cheap ribbon tied around an otherwise rather pretty and impressively well-kept vintage dress. Throughout the rest of the Quarter, brightly colored Victorian homes and businesses, famously done up with wrought-iron features, provide a distinct and immediately recognizable backdrop for all varieties of fun. At any given moment in this historic riverside setting, some of America’s finest meals are being cooked, most potent cocktails are being mixed, and most engaging music is being performed.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
439 reviews
Excellent
178
Very good
180
Average
63
Poor
10
Terrible
8
Jason H
Boonton, NJ223 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
The Cabildo is a beautiful, historic building located on Jackson Square in the French Quarter, adjacent to St. Louis Cathedral. The Louisiana State Museum operates a history museum inside.
The exhibits in the museum are well done, and there is a good variety of material that they cover. Currently, they have an exhibit about the beadwork of the Mardi Gras Indian costumes, as well as a “We Love New Orleans” installation, with many interesting artifacts from the city’s history.
There were a few galleries that were under utilized that I thought could’ve contained a bit more information and displays, and the $10 entrance ticket does not cover admission to the Presbytére Museum, also on Jackson Square. The museum also does not take Discover or American Express.
The exhibits in the museum are well done, and there is a good variety of material that they cover. Currently, they have an exhibit about the beadwork of the Mardi Gras Indian costumes, as well as a “We Love New Orleans” installation, with many interesting artifacts from the city’s history.
There were a few galleries that were under utilized that I thought could’ve contained a bit more information and displays, and the $10 entrance ticket does not cover admission to the Presbytére Museum, also on Jackson Square. The museum also does not take Discover or American Express.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
K8383
North Branford, CT88 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
Great job on turning this old, historic building into a museum. They left the structure in its original form, and the exhibits are creative. First floor has a confusing direction as it tries to cover cultural points rather than chronology of the city. Second and third floors are more thematic. Museum could use more on 20 and 21st century occurrences though. Looking forward to visiting again and perhaps seeing some more exhibits!
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KG O
Los Angeles, CA152 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We went for the Beading with Big Chief Montana Exhibit. The work created by the workshop participants was very inspiring. We enjoyed the other exhibits as well. Gorgeous views of Jackson Square from second story.
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JerseyFern
New York, NY9 contributions
Mar 2022
We took Part One of the two-part Marigny tour with neighborhood resident Donna, and it was amazing. We learned about the history of the area primarily through its architecture from the 18th century to the present. Donna took care to specify the known, unknown, and guessed-at, and she debunked a few myths along the way. She chose her words carefully and acknowledged some difficult truths about local history that other tours gloss over or rationalize. After making sure it worked for everyone in the group, Donna let the tour run a bit long to make it complete - including a bonus interior visit when she recognized the owner of a historical home on the house's porch. A highlight of our trip!
Written March 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
simsu66
Rayleigh, UK605 contributions
Feb 2020
Compared to the excellent Presbytere I was decidedly underwhelmed by the Cabildo.
The building itself is beautiful but the exhibits a bit of an odd mismatch. There is an exhibit on the Battle of New Orleans but other than a few facts about the battle itself - local US armies defeated a larger British army - it did not really provide much historical context.
There was also an exhibit on wardrobes and another on maps. It all seemed a bit disjointed.
The building itself is beautiful but the exhibits a bit of an odd mismatch. There is an exhibit on the Battle of New Orleans but other than a few facts about the battle itself - local US armies defeated a larger British army - it did not really provide much historical context.
There was also an exhibit on wardrobes and another on maps. It all seemed a bit disjointed.
Written March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yenyok
New York City, NY207 contributions
Oct 2019
The Cabildo was built in the 1790s and was the site of the Louisiana Purchase transfer in 1803. Nowadays, it hosts several exhibits on local history. located on Jackson Square in the French Quarter, adjacent to St. Louis Cathedral. The Louisiana State Museum operates a history museum inside. The exhibits in the museum are well done, and there is a good variety of material.
Written March 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
404HappyTraveller
Saskatchewan, Canada430 contributions
Jan 2020
This was a short but interesting visit to this portion of the Louisiana State Museum. It dealt with the French Quarter and the city and what makes NOLA what it is. Exhibits were well done, although a bit scattered around. The building itself has a remarkable history and it was a relaxed and easy way to spend a bit of time.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Evelyn C
Byhalia, MS675 contributions
Jan 2020
The small museum in this historic building is worth a short visit. We enjoyed the costumes, the weaponry, and the maps. The displays were easy to read and increased our understanding of the the early history in shaping New Orleans.
Written February 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thekansaspyet
Middletown, CT725 contributions
Mar 2022
The Cabildo is a large building, with exhibits spaced widely apart through out. We enjoyed the sense of history in the building. The 3rd floor has a room of photographs of people and places in and near New Orleans that were most interesting. We enjoyed the front of the building on the 2nd and 3rd floors. By looking out the windows, one could see elevated views of Jackson Square, the iron-grillworked shops on both sides and even ships on the Mississippi.
Written April 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachel
Gold Coast, Australia433 contributions
Jan 2023
Great museum to learn about the history of New Orleans. Excellent volunteers, one of which was an older gentleman who told us some fabulous stories about some of the works on display. Great convenient location in Jackson Square that doesn’t require a lot of time to visit. We received a discount as were also visiting the Presbytere.
Written January 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike B
San Jose, CA275 contributions
How much time would you allow to see the museum?
My apologies for the late response as we did not see the message until now.
Since the museum is self paced, it is hard to say, but most people spend about 2 hours. There are exhibitions on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor of the main building and there are smaller exhibitions in the Arsenal on two floors. All of this is contained in the one entrance fee for the museum.
Tx2rist
Houston, TX
Is there a gift shop? Does it sell books for children?
Marvin M
Baton Rouge, LA
Hi, Thank you so much for your interest in the Cabildo. While the Cabildo does not have a gift shop, the 1850 House Museum does!
The 1850 House museum is in the Lower Pontalba building on Jackson Square only steps away from the Cabildo and it does sell books for children. The gift store is operated by the Friends of the Cabildo.
How much time should we spend in this museum?
eringall4
Fort Gratiot, MI19 contributions
I think you could spend 3 hours and really take your time or just move quickly through and not read every little thing for about an hour.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Cabildo
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Cabildo:
- New Orleans Sightseeing City Tour (From $47.30)
- New Orleans Killers and Thrillers Tour (From $34.99)
- French Quarter & Marigny Neighborhood Carriage Ride (From $70.00)
- Go City: New Orleans All-Inclusive Pass with 25+ Attractions (From $69.00)
- New Orleans French Quarter Architecture Walking Tour (From $35.00)
- Hotels near Cabildo:
- (0.08 mi) Place d'Armes Hotel
- (0.09 mi) Bourbon Orleans Hotel
- (0.15 mi) French Market Inn
- (0.14 mi) Omni Royal Orleans
- (0.09 mi) Nola Vacation French Quarter Destination
- Restaurants near Cabildo:
- (0.01 mi) Cafe Pontalba
- (0.01 mi) Tableau
- (0.03 mi) Sylvain
- (0.04 mi) Pirates Alley Cafe
- (0.10 mi) Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro
Cabildo Information
Excellent Reviews | 178 |
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Very Good Reviews | 180 |
Cabildo Photos | 278 |